Ronin of Okane and the Evolution of Comics

Written by Ross Locksley on 10 Oct 2025

One of the great pleasures of writing about culture for the last 30 years has been watching the barriers between creators and the public fall, one by one. No longer are the best artists and writers penned in by large publishing companies - Webtoons and crowdfunding have allowed those with the talent to reach readers independently. I myself drew comics in my teens, working collaboratively on an anthology title called Boiled Spoons. This was just as digital art was starting to take over from traditional methods, but I still remember cutting out various zipatone sheets of varying shades to stick onto my pages. 

Now of course it’s all digital, from drawing to distribution, and it was an advert for a Kickstarter campaign for Ronin of Okane that caught my attention most recently. 

Created by an international team of writers, artists, colourists and consultants drawn together by a passion for comics, cyberpunk and Japanese culture, this is an impressively diverse creative team that has come together to create a visceral tale that ticks all the right boxes - art is on point, the writing is sharp and every character has their own voice. It’s a fine line between homage and cliche, but I think there’s enough fresh ideas and confident execution to make this more than the sum of its parts.

Of course, the art was the first thing to catch my eye. With pencils and inks by Guy Dilokleartpalakorn and Michael Pachidamrong, coloured by Dino Tongsamer, the characters really jump off the page, while Shin Kawa keeps backgrounds detailed and interesting. Nyx is a classic cyberpunk cutie, a mix of lycra, neon and pink hair, she’s a classic deadly beauty with a flirty sense of humour. Instantly striking, both in looks and combat, she makes for a very engaging co-lead. Noguchi Michio is a mix of Japanese heritage and cyber-noir next gen attitude, he’s the titular Ronin of the tale. They look great together and my interest was suitably piqued. 

Combat sequences are imaginative and feel kinetic

Picking up the first volume digitally, I was very impressed by just how much the book popped on an OLED iPad Pro. No doubt Dino has an exceptional eye for colour and his neon-soaked pages are remarkable. I was struck by the colour palettes engaged during Nyx’s introduction - the soft pink tones of her apartment starkly contrasted by the neon blues of the city and, later, powerful orange sunset. It gives the book a glow that makes every page a pin-up.

Micheal also handles writing duties with help from novelist Ken Collins and the pair bring care and attention here too. I was instantly drawn to Noguchi’s quest as the book uses thought bubbles to show his observations and musings. It’s a classic form of writing that modern comics have, quite wrongly in my opinion, ditched in an unwise attempt to make comics feel more like movies - instead, most modern comics feel shallow and impersonal to me and I think the sales figures show that readers have disconnected from US books as a whole and are looking to Asia for more interesting characters. They’ll find them here. 

Tatsuya Kumano has ensured that all the Japanese elements remain true to their heritage, the use of Yokai and other cultural touchstones give the book its authentic flavour, so despite the myriad contributors from various countries there's a guiding star that keeps the series on track.

It’s also a pretty mature tale - there’s plenty of blood, sex and violence within these pages which makes it a series I’ll have to keep on the top shelf at home (already learned my lesson when my daughter flicked through my Barbarian’s Bride manga…) Again, it’s all just painted as part and parcel of life in the big city.

Having thoroughly enjoyed volume 1, I was lucky enough to get my hands on hardback editions of volumes 1-4, and it really has just come on in leaps and bounds. The passion for the world and the characters shines through - it reminds me of my own creative days, doodling characters, costumes and concepts, losing hours to the creative process to make my work the best I could. It’s the story that really takes on new levels, the worldbuilding taking centre stage and supported by the art rather than being led by it. By the time we hit volume 4, we’re getting a backstory that’s genuinely moving and providing so much context that I found myself re-reading the earlier volumes just to see the characters in a new light. It’s terrific work.

Nyx and Noguchi from the cover of the upcoming volume 5

It's also nice to see so much in the way of "Making Of" content at the back of each book - sketches, ideas, tech and poster-style illustrations all show how much thought and care is lavished on every volume - often I spent more time looking at the background than reading the story, it's fascinating stuff.

Speaking of, I was also able to grab a copy of Myths and Tales: Yokai and Cyber Beings in Hinokai, a coffee-table book which features some stunning artwork and series background that becomes a must if you’re a fan. The pages are designed to look like parchment, with hand-written notes and sketches to illustrate the many beings and elements that make up the mythology of the series - it’s been sat in my lounge for a week and I don’t think there’s been a day I haven’t dipped into it with a drink in hand. I have a lot of “making of” books from various movies and productions, especially Disney/Pixar and this rivals anything on my shelf for detail and depth.

Life comes in all shapes and sizes in Okane

I’m not often moved to write about books that have been delivered via crowdfunding - in part because enough have fallen through over the years that I’m always quite wary - but the team behind this book have a proven track record, which is a credit to them given that they're all so scattered. Despite this, they continue to return and collaborate on their creation. In this case I'm happy to wholeheartedly recommend you check this out.

You can find the Ronin of Okane books available digitally on the Cyber Sheep Films website.

Click here to find the Kickstarter Page for Ronin of Okane volume 5.